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As Dom Lassonde felt the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis creep into his body, the 40-year-old Vancouver Islander knew he needed a different way to stay fit. The autoimmune disease inflamed his synovial membranes—a connective tissue in joints that produces lubricating fluid for smooth movement—so much it felt like shards of glass were lining his joints. Ultimate Frisbee and hockey, two of his regular activities, were no longer feasible.

After beginning a new medication regime about a year after his diagnosis, Lassonde could cycle and swim—activities that put less stress on his joints. He was right to keep moving: according to the American College of Rheumatology, regular aerobic exercise, especially when combined with strength training, can reduce joint pain.

Lassonde is one of many Canadians living with a physical limitation that makes exercise difficult. Two common issues, chronic pain and heart disease—which affect 3.9 million and 1.3 million Can­adians, respectively—make it challenging for individuals to achieve the 150 minutes of weekly moderate aer­obic exercise, or cardio, recommended by the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (CPAG).

But the benefits of regular exercise are too important to pass up. Aerobics—any continuous activity that raises your heart rate and has you breathing rapidly—can lead to a longer life and prevention of Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.

Physical limitations needn’t prevent you from working out regularly—it’s just a matter of knowing which exercises to do.

Pushing back against pain

Approach new exercise regimes cautiously. “People should never use mobility impairment as a reason not to participate, but they should def­initely seek guidance from a professional to make sure they’re doing it safely,” says Audrey Hicks, a professor of kinesiology at Hamilton’s McMaster University. She advises those experiencing chronic pain to seek out certified physiologists and personal trainers before beginning a new fitness routine.

Instead of jogging, Hicks recommends that people with joint pain or injuries try swimming or water aerobics, or use recumbent elliptical trainers—activities that reduce strain on joints. “You don’t want to do anything that’s going to make your pain worse,” she says.

Exercising with caution

Those living with heart disease should be especially prudent in their efforts to meet the national CPAG recommendations.

The guidelines weren’t designed for people with chronic medical conditions, says Dr. Darren Warburton, a specialist in cardiology and exercise rehabilitation at University of British Columbia. Warburton was one of the creators of the guidelines. “We never prescribe 150 minutes of physical activity to someone who has just had a heart attack,” he says.

Warburton doesn’t restrict himself to a “magic number” or a certain type of exercise when prescribing fitness routines. “We advocate that individuals start early on at a very light to moderate intensity and progress toward higher levels of activity,” he says.

This might mean beginning with two weekly 20-minute sessions, doing activities like gardening or brisk walking. To be effective, your workout should reach a moderate level of intensity—that is, you should be able to feel your heart rate increase and have enough breath to talk, but not sing. This, of course, should only be done after consultation with a health professional.

Don’t deprive yourself of the benefits of the small efforts. McMaster University research has shown that short intervals of physician-monitored high-intensity workouts are just as effective as longer sessions of moderate-intensity workouts for the rehabilitation of patients with coronary artery disease.

Seeking relief from back pain?

If you suffer from back pain you know that even the tiniest movement can hurt a lot. Here are some beginner-level exercises to stretch and strengthen your back that can be performed on a daily basis. If any move hurts, stop immediately. Once these exercises become easy, ask your doctor or a physiotherapist for more advanced exercises.

1. Pelvic tilt

Lie on your back with your knees bent but touching and your feet flat on the floor. Flatten your lower back against the floor, tilting your pelvis down. Hold for 20 to 40 seconds while breathing slowly and deeply, then release. Repeat this exercise twice. This stretch uses small movements, unlike a traditional workout, to reduce tension and ease back pain.

2. Lumbar stretch

Sit up tall on a chair and slowly, one vertebra at a time, roll your head, neck, chest and low back forward until your head is between your knees (or as far as you can comfortably go). Hold for three deep breaths, then slowly roll back up to a sitting position. Repeat twice.

3. Cat

Kneel on all fours with your knees hip-width apart. Keeping your stomach muscles tensed, arch your back like a cat and hold for five seconds, then release. Repeat. Now let your stomach drop a bit toward the floor. Hold for five seconds, then repeat. Finally, sit back on your heels and reach your arms in front of you on the floor and hold.

4. Curl-ups

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head. Tense your stomach muscles, then lift your head and shoulders and upper back off the floor. Don’t pull with your hands. Repeat 10 times if you can. Curl-ups are used to strengthen your back, eventually leading to less back pain.

5. Dry swimming

To do this exercise, begin by lying on your stomach with a rolled-up towel under your belly for back support. Tighten your buttocks and simultaneously raise one arm and the opposite leg, then switch. Repeat for up to two minutes.

6. Leg lift
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Press your lower back into the floor. Now straighten one leg, keeping your knees aligned. Bend your leg to return to starting position, then repeat on the opposite side. Repeat 10 times if you can.

More than just for pipes and pots, it turns out copper has surprising health benefits as well. Here’s why you might consider adding copper to your daily supplement regimen.

What is copper?

Copper is rarely discussed, but it’s the third most abundant trace mineral in our bodies. Copper has many benefits: it strengthens blood vessels, bones, tendons and nerves; it helps maintain fertility, ensures healthy pigmentation of hair and skin, and promotes blood clotting. It’s available in nutritional supplements as several forms, including copper amino acid chelates, copper gluconate, copper oxide and copper sulfate.

You’d have to eat about six medium avocados to get the amount of copper you need each day. And although it can be obtained from a wide variety of foods, the typical Western diet is low in copper, because the foods that are the best sources, such as oysters and liver, are not eaten frequently.

What does copper do?

Copper is essential in the formation of collagen, a fundamental protein in bones, skin and connective tissue. Copper is necessary for the manufacture of many enzymes, especially superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is one of the body’s most potent antioxidants. It also may help the body use its stored iron and play a role in maintaining immunity and fertility.

Copper is involved in the formation of melanin (a dark natural colour found in the hair, skin and eyes) and promotes consistent pigmentation as well.

How else is copper beneficial to your health?

Evidence suggests that copper has other benefits as well: it can be a factor in preventing high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias). Some experts believe that it may protect tissues from damage by free radicals, helping prevent cancer, heart disease and other ailments. Getting enough copper may also help keep cholesterol levels low.

It may also help stave off the bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis. In one study involving healthy women 45 to 56 years of age, those taking a daily 3­ milligram copper supplement showed no loss in mineral bone density, but women given a placebo showed a significant loss. Another study found no benefit.

How should you take copper as a supplement?

Although there is no recommended dietary intake (RDI) for copper, adults are advised to obtain 900 micrograms daily to keep the body functioning normally.

Copper is usually found in multivitamin and mineral preparations; tablet and capsule forms containing only copper may be available. Individual copper supplements may be hard to find at the pharmacy or health food store. Ignore the label claims that one particular form of copper is better for you than another: There is no evidence that any one form is better absorbed than another or otherwise preferred by the body.

An adequate intake (AI) is 1.7 milligrams a day for men and 1.2 milligrams for women, increasing to 1.3 milligrams during pregnancy and 1.5 milligrams when breastfeeding. Don’t take more than 10 milligrams a day.

It is advisable to take a supplement at the same time every day, preferably with a meal to decrease the chance of stomach irritation.

If you take zinc supplements for longer than a month, add 2 milligrams of copper to your regimen. People who take antacids regularly may need extra copper as well.

Talk to your doctor before taking supplemental copper if you have Wilson’s disease or are taking penicillamine, oral contraceptives or hormonal replacement therapy (HRT).

What are other sources of copper?

Shellfish (oysters, mussels, lobsters, crabs) and organ meats (liver) are excellent sources of copper. However, if you’re concerned about your cholesterol levels, there are many vegetarian foods rich in copper as well. These include legumes; whole grains, such as rye and wheat and products made from them (bread, cereal, pasta); nuts and seeds; vegetables such as peas, artichokes, avocados, radishes, garlic, mushrooms and potatoes; fruit such as tomatoes, bananas and prunes; and soy products (tofu, tempeh, soy milk and soy powder).

What happens if you get too little copper?

A true copper deficiency is rare. It usually occurs only in individuals with illnesses such as Crohn’s disease or Celiac disease or in those with inherited conditions that inhibit copper absorption, such as albinism. Symptoms of deficiency include fatigue, irregular heartbeat, broken bones and loss of skin pigment.

Even a mild deficiency may have some adverse health effects. For example, a preliminary study involving 24 men found that a diet low in copper caused a significant increase in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol as well as a decrease in HDL (“good”) cholesterol. These changes in their cholesterol profiles increased the participants’ risk of heart disease. A small study of copper supplementation found cholesterol levels dropped. However, another study found no beneficial effects on heart disease risk.

What happens if you get too much copper?

Just 10 milligrams of copper taken at one time can produce nausea, muscle pain and stomach ache. Severe copper toxicity from oral copper supplements has not been noted to date. However, some people who work with pesticides containing copper have suffered liver damage, coma and even death.

What you don’t know about germs could be making you sick. Brush up on your personal hygiene, housekeeping strategies and food handling skills with our guide to beating the spread of bugs.

1. Water temperature doesn’t matter to germs.

Scrubbing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is your simplest defence against harmful germs. But no need to bother with the hot faucet—warm water is no more effective than cold in removing bacteria from your hands.

2. Hand sanitizer is the next best thing to washing.

If water and soap aren’t available, use alcohol-based sanitizer. Jason Tetro, a Toronto-based microbiologist and the author of The Germ Code, says as long as the product contains 62 to 70 per cent alcohol, it will kill most of the germs on your skin.

3. Some germs are worth nurturing.

4. It pays to keep your fridge organized.

Harmful bacteria, such as salmonella, can be spread when ready-to-eat foods, like washed fruits and veggies, come into contact with potentially hazardous ones, like raw meats and their juices. Toronto Public Health’s Owen Chong suggests organizing your fridge with raw meats at the bottom, unwashed produce in the middle and ready-to-eat foods at the top in order to avoid cross-contamination.

5. Don’t wash your chicken before cooking.

If you rinse raw poultry, the bacteria can be carried by the water. To avoid food-borne illnesses during prep, use a separate cutting board and utensils for uncooked poultry, says Chong.

6. Reach for paper towels in public restrooms.

They may be eco–friendly, but hand dryers have one major drawback—they blast germs everywhere. In a 2014 University of Leeds study in England, microbiologists found that the concentration of airborne bacteria around jet air dispensers was 27 times higher than that found near paper towel dispensers.

7. Toilets aren’t the most dangerous thing in public bathroom.

The toilets in public washrooms aren’t necessarily where you’ll find the most germs. “The door handle and sink basin are more dangerous than the toilet itself,” says Tetro. He suggests using paper towel when opening bathroom doors.

8. Germs love toothbrushes.

If you can’t remember when you last changed your toothbrush, it’s time to toss it. An open toilet bowl can allow a biofilm of fecal coliforms to grow on your brush, says Tetro. Keep your lid down and rinse your toothbrush with hot water for five seconds before use.

9. Germs love cellphones, too.

Our cellphones carry more than just data. In 2011, British researchers tested 390 phones and discovered one in six devices had fecal traces on their surfaces. Tetro suggests wiping phones down with a disinfecting cloth daily to minimize your risk of infection.

10. Make sure you use disinfecting wipes properly.

A 2015 study by Cardiff University in Wales revealed that wipes can spread superbugs like MRSA and C. difficile. Use one sheet per surface to avoid moving germs around.

11. Zap away bacteria.

A 2006 study in the Journal of Environmental Health found that microwaving a kitchen sponge for one to two minutes can reduce the presence of germs by more than 99 per cent.

12. Always take off your shoes.

Researchers at the University of Arizona found that there are, on average, 421,000 different bacteria on our shoes. Leave your footwear at the door to avoid dragging the organisms through your home.

13. Wash underwear in hot water.

“A washer load of underwear contains one million E. coli bacteria,” says microbiologist Charles Gerba. His research team discovered that germs are more likely to survive cold-water washes and be transferred between clothing items. Gerba recommends washing clothes with hot water (60 C or warmer) and bleach to kill bacteria.

Are your doctors basing your care on the strongest scientific research? We asked medical experts to point out some of the most worrisome ways doctors are falling short—and occasionally, even making mistakes.

1. High Blood Pressure

The blood pressure mistake your doctor may be making: Sticking with lifestyle changes when you need drugs.

The evidence shows that it’s safe to try to bring down mildly elevated blood pressure by eating better and exercising. But if your numbers are even moderately high, the advice is unequivocal: Your doctor must prescribe drugs because uncontrolled high blood pressure puts you at risk for a deadly heart attack or stroke.

Guidelines making this clear were crafted by a panel of leading scientists in 2003. But when 22 community doctors were asked by University of Texas researchers how they’d treat a hypothetical middle-aged man with the moderately high blood pressure of 145/92, nearly two-thirds said they’d tell him to improve his lifestyle. Shockingly, only one of these practicing physicians was familiar with the recommended thresholds for prescribing drugs, says study author Joseph Ravenell, MD, now at New York University.

In a recent study released by Statistics Canada, 1 in 5 Canadians were shown to have high blood pressure, and 80 per cent of them were being treated with medication.

The right move: If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, you should almost certainly be on a prescription hypertension drug—and if one medication doesn’t bring your readings into the normal range, you should be on more than one. Only people diagnosed with prehypertension (120 to 139 over 80 to 89) can get by with lifestyle changes alone. Those include exercising, losing weight if necessary, and eating a healthy, low-fat, low-salt diet.

2. Immunization

The schedule for children’s vaccines is set by the Public Health Agency of Canada, which reviews reams of research on what protects your child best. One key recommendation: Infants and toddlers should get multiple shots to ensure they’re adequately defended against common diseases such as measles and pneumonia. Yet one study found that an alarming 20 per cent of all kids under two miss one or more of the vaccinations. Researchers aren’t sure of all the reasons, but they think part of the explanation is that overwhelmed doctors aren’t properly counselling parents about the importance of multiple shots. Another problem: In 8 per cent of cases, doctors give shots too early or too close together. “If a child gets a booster when the antibodies from an earlier shot are still circulating, it can be almost as if he didn’t get the second one at all,” says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist Elizabeth T. Luman, PhD.

Physicians are even worse at making sure adults are on track. Only about half of adults are up-to-date on the tetanus booster we’re supposed to get once every decade, for instance. Far fewer get the shingles vaccine—only 6 per cent of adults 60 and up (the recommended age group). Yet shingles can affect anyone who has ever had chicken pox and can be agonizing.

The right move: Kids under two should get multiple shots at nearly all their scheduled well-child visits. One way to reduce aches: Have the doctor give the more-painful pneumonia shot last. (A recent study found this strategy lessens overall soreness.) During your own doctor visits, ask him to check your immunization history against the guidelines. All adults need a tetanus vaccine (which also protects against diphtheria and, in the newest version, whooping cough) once a decade. Other shots you may need—including flu, hepatitis, shingles, HPV, and pneumonia—depend on your age, gender, health history, and occupation.

3. Asthma

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood, affecting 9 per cent of kids. But experts now know that the problem can be effectively controlled. Numerous studies have shown that daily use of inhaled corticosteroids like Advair and Flovent reduces airway inflammation and cuts the frequency and severity of asthma attacks, says Kaiser Permanente asthma expert Michael Schatz, MD, a member of the panel that developed asthma guidelines for the National Institutes of Health. This crucial “control” medicine helps kids sleep better, miss less school, and make fewer scary trips to the ER. Yet a recent study by the Rand Corporation reveals that more than half of asthmatic kids don’t use it. Some parents don’t want or can’t afford the drug—but others aren’t advised that their child needs to keep up with the regimen even after symptoms subside. In many cases, “pediatricians don’t prescribe it because they aren’t aware of its value,” Dr. Schatz admits.

The right move: If your child is over five and has asthma symptoms that strike more than three times a week or keep him or her up at night more than twice a month, your doctor should prescribe an inhaled corticosteroid. For more severe cases, other daily meds may be needed too. (Don’t let the word steroid scare you; the inhaled version isn’t habit-forming, and side effects are generally mild.)

4. Low Back Pain

The low back pain mistake your doctor may be making: Taking pictures of what’s inside your back—and trying to fix what he finds.

MRI rates have skyrocketed—in 2004, doctors performed three times as many MRIs of the spine as they did in 1994. But that isn’t because these pictures are proved to help. In fact, a large body of research, detailed in guidelines by the American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians, cautions against routinely using imaging to figure out the cause of back troubles.

“When you look inside, you see arthritis, degenerative disks, and such. But it turns out many people from midlife on have these things,” says Roger Chou, MD, a coauthor of the guidelines. “And research shows that when you fix them, the pain usually doesn’t go away.”

MRIs aren’t the only problem. Use of epidural steroid shots has quadrupled in the past ten years, though evidence shows they’re only minimally effective. Spinal fusion surgery numbers have grown about threefold, yet research shows that approach, too, frequently does little good.

When a patient hobbles into the office, it’s understandable that the doctor wants to do something, Dr. Chou says. But an unproven intervention can do considerable harm. “It’s worth remembering that back pain has a history of treatments ultimately found to be detrimental, like surgically removing patients’ tailbones,” Dr. Chou says.

The right move: “Back pain can drive you crazy, but it typically improves with steps like taking acetaminophen, using a heating pad, and, if the problem is chronic, starting an exercise program to strengthen back muscles,” Dr. Deyo says. In general, an MRI isn’t necessary unless you have symptoms like severe weakness in your foot or leg, a high fever, problems urinating, or a history of cancer, Dr. Chou advises. Be especially cautious about more aggressive fixes like surgery.

5. Heart Attack

The heart attack mistake your doctor may be making: Not giving emergency treatment fast enough, skipping important aftercare, or missing other critical steps.

For the thousands of Canadians who will have a heart attack this year, immediate treatment with aspirin, clot-busting drugs, angioplasty, or other proven steps could mean the difference between life and death. No wonder these kinds of moves are spelled out in treatment guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. Yet fewer than 50 per cent of patients get clot-busting therapy within 30 minutes; about 25 per cent leave the hospital without a referral to cardiac rehabilitation, which is known to be valuable. Other steps can be neglected, as well, if only because a doctor may be distracted by a page or another interruption. In the hectic atmosphere of a hospital, “when you rely only on a doctor’s memory, critical therapies and timetables are easily overlooked,” says Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, associate chief of cardiology at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center.

So in 2000, the American Heart Association started a program called Get with the Guidelines (GWTG), for hospitals to use as a reminder system. “We view it like an airline pilot checklist. Even if the doctor gets distracted, things are less likely to fall through the cracks,” explains Eric Peterson, MD, director of cardiovascular research at Duke Clinical Research Institute. (The University of Ottawa Heart Institute have worked on a Canadian adaptation of the GWTG called the Champlain Get With The Guidelines Initiative.)

6. Diabetes

The diabetes mistake your doctor may be making: Failing to test you for diabetes.

About 2 million Canadians have diabetes, yet a third of sufferers don’t know it. That’s a big problem because patients who control their blood sugar can prevent serious complications like leg amputations and heart and kidney disease. Experts say that doctors should keep an eye out for people with high odds of the disease—namely those who are overweight and have other diabetes risk factors. “Yet if a person with these criteria goes in for a specific problem, like a sprained knee, rather than an annual physical, the doctor may not look at the bigger picture and say, ‘You should have a diabetes test,’” says endocrinologist Richard Bergenstal, MD, president-elect of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association.

The right move: If you have a body mass index (BMI) of or over 25 (the threshold for being considered overweight), plus a second diabetes risk factor such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you should be screened for the disease. If the test results show that you’re free of diabetes and prediabetes, you should be tested again within three years.

This Grilled Pineapple, Chicken and Avocado Salad celebrates the best of summer!

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp. olive oil

salt and pepper

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into 1-inch thick rings

8 cups baby spinach

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced (I prefer California avocados)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced

honey garlic vinaigrette

Honey Garlic Vinaigrette Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp. honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch of salt and black pepper

Directions:

To Make The Salad:

Brush the chicken on both sides with olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Preheat your outdoor grill to medium-high, or heat a grill pan over med-high heat. Place pineapple slices and chicken breasts on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through, and no longer pink on the inside. Remove pineapple and chicken and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Then slice chicken into strips, and cut pineapple into chunks.

In a large bowl, toss together spinach, blueberries, feta, red onion, pineapple and chicken until combined. Drizzle or toss with salad dressing, and serve immediately

To Make The Vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together until blended. Let sit for at least 10 minutes for flavors to meld. Whisk again until blended, then drizzle over salad.

You can now get quick, targeted relief for your chronic pain and scars without having the dangerous side effects that comes from taking oral medications. 8 out of 10 people who suffer from chronic pain and scars find relief from using a topical pain cream to treat their ailments.

Topical pain creams are specifically designed to target and treat the site of pain with customizable formulations, while avoiding many of the complications common to other pain treatment methods. Pain Cream provides a flexible, convenient, and effective solution for a variety of pain-related conditions.

Targeted Relief

Pain creams are designed to administer high concentrations of pain medication directly onto the site of pain for targeted relief. Furthermore, the pharmacists works with your doctor to create a custom formulation, designed to meet your unique needs. As a result, you get the combined benefits of precise dosing, personalized treatment, and the combined effect of multiple ingredients working together for optimal pain relief.

Speed of Effect
Another benefit of using a topical pain medication over oral options is the amount of time it takes for the drug to work. The active ingredients in a topical pain relief do not need to travel through the digestive system and bloodstream to reach the area causing pain. Instead the ingredients are absorbed directly into the affected area, speeding up how quickly pain relief is experienced. Advancements in topical administration vehicles (i.e. creams) have substantially increased onset of action.

Fewer Risks & Side Effects

Topical pain creams are applied topically, they do not circulate throughout the entire body. This means you have powerful pain medication where you need it and less where you don’t. As a result, Pain Creams are less likely to interact with other medications being taken and cause fewer side effects than other pain medications. Finally, since Pain Cream is not absorbed throughout the entire body, the risk of dependence and addiction is virtually eliminated.

Transdermal Base

Topical pain creams are typically formulated using an anhydrous silicone base designed and proven to effectively deliver pain medication. Furthermore, this type of transdermal base has been tested and proven to deliver up to four drugs simultaneously and to deliver medications more effectively and more quickly than other topical bases.

Scarring Disorders

Scar creams, while improving the appearance of preexisting scars, can also help prevent scarring disorders, including hypertrophic and keloidal scarring. Both hypertrophic and keloidal scars are the result of excessive collagen produced in the healing process. Due to the excess scar tissue, scars will appear raised, thick, and darker than typical scars. While hypertrophic scars remain confined to the area of the original wound, keloids extend into the surrounding tissue. Scar Cream is designed to prevent the excessive collagen production which causes these disorders.

Baked Egg in Avocado

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. I used my toaster oven, but a large oven is fine.

Carefully slice an avocado in half lengthwise and discard the pit.

Using a spoon, scoop out some of the avocado from the center hole to make room for the egg to sit and not overflow. Use your best judgment here. You can also discard some of the membrane if it overflows.

I recommend placing the avocados on a cutting board, and setting an object on the ends of the cutting board for the avocados to rest against. You don’t want them wobbling about while you’re adding the egg, because they will spill.

Carefully crack an egg into each hole. Sprinkle salt and pepper atop.

Grab a loaf pan, and place the avocados inside. Nestle each of them against a side of the loaf pan. Again, this is to prevent them from tipping over.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the membrane is white and egg is cooked.

How to eat:

You can eat these right away to take advantage of a runny yolk. But, if you’re someone who isn’t a fan of hot avocado, you can place in the refrigerator to eat later (yolk will not be runny), or simply set aside until the avocado cools down. Again, the only time you’ll experience the yolk of a poached egg is if you eat right away. Letting it sit will allow the egg to keep cooking, so your yolk will be harder later on (more like hard-boiled). All up to what you prefer!

They push you both physically and mentally, so you get even more mileage from your sweat sesh.

You know how important it is to move your body. And you’ve probably heard that mental stimulation is good for the brain. So why not kill two birds with one stone, and exercise your noggin while you’re breaking a sweat? Here, five workouts that will help you do just that.

Boxing

This workout has been growing rapidly in popularity, and for good reason. Jabbing and kicking isn’t just a great way to burn calories and build strength; complex boxing sequences give your mind a solid workout, too. If boxing gloves aren’t your thing, many gyms offer classes that use light dumbbells instead.

Rock climbing

Conquering a climbing workout requires both mental and physical strength because your brain is responsible for mapping your route, while your body gets you from point A to B. Some people shy away from climbing because they worry it’s too challenging for beginners. But climbing gyms typicall have walls with varying levels of difficulty, which makes it a great workout for all fit levels.

Batting practice

Hitting a batting cage is a fun activity to do with friends. The hand-eye coordination required to connect with the ball stimulates your mind and body at the same time. Just be sure to start out with a pitching machine set at a slower speed. Once you get the hang of it, you can move up to faster speeds.

Yoga boot camp

One of the hottest new fitness trends, this high-octane hybrid class not only tones your body, it also forces your brain to keep up with fact-paced circuits that incorporate cardio, strength-training, and stretching.

Hip-hop dance

No matter how experienced a dancer you are, hip-hop is a super fun way to work your bod and brain. In any class, you’ll be memorizing sequences and likely learning new moves, so your brain will be firing the entire time.

Take the classic strength move from short and static to minutes-long and dynamic with this three-week plan.

The plank is the ultimate full-body pose for toning your abs, back, legs, arms, and butt, all while improving your posture and stability. Another reason it eclipses other strength exercises? It’s super versatile—you can modify it to add extra movement and get your heart rate up faster.

Your action plan: Each week, start with the first challenge and repeat it until you have it down pat. Then proceed to the next one. Practice at your own pace and skill level, but be sure to put in some work each day so you can complete the progression by the end of the week.

Week 1

Fix your form: “With planks, your form either makes or breaks the exercise,” says New York City celebrity trainer David Kirsch. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels.

Begin by standing: Stand up straight, feet hip-width apart. Now have someone try to gently knock you off balance. Pay attention to the muscles you need to engage to stay centered: “That’s exactly how you should feel when you’re in plank,” says trainer Jonathan Ross, a senior adviser to the American Council on Exercise.

Start the timer: Hold your plank for 20 to 30 seconds or longer. If you need to rest, lower your knees to the floor for a few seconds.

Week 2

Boost endurance: If you feel any shoulder or lower back pain as you start to hold your static plank for longer, or if your butt creeps toward the ceiling, stop and reset.

Master 30: Hold your plank for half a minute without resting.

Add 15: Hold your 30-second plank, then rest in a Downward Dog position for five seconds, suggests Kirsch. Return to plank and hold for another 15 seconds or more.

Hit the minute mark: Hold a 45-second plank, followed by a Downward Dog and another 15- to 30-second plank.

Go for 90: Hold your plank for at least one minute. Rest in Downward Dog if you need to, then hold another 30-second plank.

Week 3

Switch it up: Get the hang of the following variations individually (do each for a minute). Then tack them onto each other, aiming to eventually finish all three back to back.

Move the center of mass: From a forearm plank, drop your right hip so your right thigh grazes the floor. Return to the starting position and drop your left hip. Repeat. (If you’re on your hands, your thighs may not reach the floor.)

Test your balance: Extend your right arm straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor, without disturbing your form. Return to center, then extend your left arm. Repeat with your right and left legs.

Change levels: Start in a plank on your forearms. Press up onto your right hand, then your left, so you come into a high plank. Return to your right forearm, then your left. Repeat the pattern, alternating the starting arm.